This is absolutely heartbreaking and infuriating! No family should ever have to sleep in a car, especially with young children. The system completely failed you here - emergency homeless assistance for families with children should be processed immediately, not left hanging for days. I'm seeing great advice in the comments about going back in person and asking specifically for the Emergency Services Supervisor or Homeless Assistance Program specialist. Definitely use those exact phrases like "immediate homeless emergency with minor children" - apparently these trigger required response protocols. While you're fighting this battle tomorrow, please also try calling 2-1-1 again tonight and explicitly mention you have children ages 4 and 7 sleeping in a car - sometimes they prioritize families differently or have access to emergency vouchers through other programs. Some churches and community organizations also have emergency hotel assistance separate from CalFresh. You shouldn't have to be an expert in government bureaucracy to get help when you're in crisis, but unfortunately that's the reality. Document everything tomorrow and don't leave without either money on your card or a direct voucher. Your persistence is going to pay off - these people shared some really valuable insider knowledge about how to navigate the system. Sending strength to you and your babies! ❤️

I'm so sorry you and your children are going through this - no family should have to endure sleeping in a car, especially when you've already been approved for help! This is unfortunately a common issue with the homeless assistance program where approvals get stuck in the system. Here's what I'd recommend: Go to the office first thing tomorrow morning and specifically ask to speak with the "Homeless Assistance Program Supervisor" - don't just settle for your regular eligibility worker. Bring your approval paperwork and use the exact phrase "emergency homeless situation with minor children" as this triggers specific protocols they must follow. If they can't resolve it immediately, ask for a fair hearing request form right there - sometimes just asking for this gets management involved quickly. Also, ask them to print out your case activity notes to see exactly what happened (or didn't happen) with your original approval. While you're dealing with this, try calling your county's Board of Supervisors office - they often can cut through red tape when children are involved. Don't give up - you're being a strong advocate for your kids and this community is rooting for you! Please update us when you can. ❤️

This thread has been absolutely amazing to read through! As someone who just got approved for CalFresh while doing freelance writing work, I was totally overwhelmed by the reporting requirements and honestly pretty scared I'd mess something up. The clarity around the 40% deduction calculation has been life-changing - I had no idea that you subtract the 40% BEFORE comparing to your IRT threshold. I've been panicking every time I got a decent payment, thinking I was going over my limit when I probably wasn't even close! I'm definitely going to set up that monthly tracking system everyone's talking about. The idea of calculating gross minus 40% at the end of each month and comparing to my IRT sounds so much more manageable than trying to stress about every individual payment. Also really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences with overpayments and reporting mistakes. It's reassuring to know that honest mistakes don't immediately lead to fraud accusations - they just adjust future benefits to recoup any overpayment. The Claimyr service tip is something I'm definitely going to try too. I've already spent way too many hours on hold trying to get basic questions answered about self-employment income rules. Thank you to everyone who contributed such detailed, practical advice. This community is incredible for helping newcomers navigate these complex systems! I feel so much more confident now about managing my CalFresh benefits properly.

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone who just started freelance consulting work and got approved for CalFresh about 2 months ago, I was completely lost about how to handle the reporting with my unpredictable income. The explanation about the 40% deduction applying BEFORE you compare to your IRT has been a total game-changer - I've been calculating it wrong this whole time and stressing myself out every time a client payment came through! I'm definitely going to implement the organizational strategies everyone has shared. The monthly tracking spreadsheet idea sounds perfect, and I love the tip about setting up phone reminders to do the calculation at month-end rather than trying to track every payment individually. One thing I'm curious about - for those of you who've been doing this longer, how do you handle it when you have a really good month that puts you over the IRT? Do you find that reporting it significantly impacts your benefits for the following months, or is the adjustment usually pretty minor? Also wanted to say thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences with overpayments and mistakes. It's so reassuring to know that the system isn't designed to trap people, and that honest errors just result in benefit adjustments rather than serious consequences. This community is such an amazing resource for navigating these complex systems as freelancers. I feel so much more confident about managing my CalFresh benefits properly now!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm a CalFresh outreach coordinator and I see this confusion about pending deposits constantly. One thing I tell everyone is to take a screenshot or photo of your approval notice because it often has more details than people realize at first glance. Also, many people don't know that you can create a MyBenefits account on the California Department of Social Services website where you can sometimes see case status updates that aren't visible through the EBT system. If you're ever in this situation again, you can also contact your local Community Action Agency - they often have direct lines to county EBT specialists and can help expedite issues. The system really needs better communication, but at least communities like this help fill in the gaps. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this is exactly the kind of peer support that makes navigating these programs more manageable!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - the waiting period for that first deposit is absolutely the most stressful part of the whole CalFresh process! I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago and remember checking my balance multiple times a day. What really helped me was understanding that there's often a delay between when you're "approved" in the caseworker's system and when the benefits actually get processed through the EBT payment system. One thing I discovered that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you have a smartphone, you can actually set up balance alerts through some banking apps that work with EBT cards. I used the GreenDot app and it would send me a push notification the moment my balance changed. Also, don't forget that once your benefits do load, you'll get both your prorated amount for this month AND next month's full amount will come on your scheduled date (the 3rd in your case). The system definitely needs better transparency, but this community is proof that we can help each other navigate it! Glad your benefits finally came through and welcome to the program! 🎉

@Chippale - if you're having similar issues with ATM withdrawals, I'd recommend trying the same steps that worked for the original poster. First check if your food benefits are still working (that helps narrow down if it's a card issue vs account block). Then try calling the EBT customer service line or use that Claimyr service to get through to your county worker. Security blocks on EBT cards seem to be pretty common, especially if you've used your card somewhere new recently. The county can usually fix it right away once you reach them!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share that I had a very similar experience last month. My EBT card suddenly stopped working at ATMs even though my food benefits were fine. After reading through all these helpful responses, I think it's worth mentioning that you can also check for any security blocks by logging into the ebtEDGE mobile app or website (ebtedge.com). Sometimes it shows alerts there that aren't visible in your regular BenefitsCal account. Also, if anyone is in this situation in the future and really can't wait for the county office or phone support, some counties have emergency assistance programs where you can get help the same day. It's not widely advertised but worth asking about if you're in crisis mode like the original poster was. Really glad to see this got resolved quickly!

Hi Summer! I'm pretty new to EBT too (just got my card about 6 weeks ago) and I totally feel your confusion about the whole system! One thing that really helped me was creating a simple notes file on my phone with all the key info - like which benefits are cash vs food only, my PIN, and a list of nearby fee-free ATMs. I've been slowly building this list as I discover what works in my area. Also, I found that credit unions that participate in the Shared Branching network sometimes have better EBT compatibility than others - you might want to ask SchoolsFirst if they're part of that network and if any of their partner locations have EBT-enabled ATMs. The whole learning process has been overwhelming at times, but this community has been such a lifesaver for getting practical advice that you just can't find anywhere else. Everyone here has been so patient with newcomer questions, so definitely don't hesitate to ask if anything else comes up as you start using your benefits more regularly!

Hi Summer! I've been using EBT for about 4 months now and wanted to add one more helpful tip that I discovered recently. If you're ever in a situation where you need to withdraw cash but all the nearby ATMs are charging fees, many Target stores actually have ATMs inside that accept EBT cards with no surcharge for cash benefit withdrawals. I've used this option several times when I was away from my usual fee-free locations. Also, something I wish I had known earlier - you can actually set up text alerts through the EBT customer service line to get notifications when your benefits are deposited each month and when your balance gets low. This has been super helpful for budgeting and planning my grocery trips. The whole EBT system definitely feels overwhelming when you're starting out, but you're already getting such amazing advice from this community. Just take it one step at a time and don't be afraid to ask questions - everyone here has been so supportive of newcomers learning the ropes!